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Thursday, January 17, 2013

Best of 2012: Skin Savers

Sorry for the lack of posts! Finally I am getting my G12 this weekend, I had it repaired and had to wait 2 weeks for the parts to arrive from Singapore.

Every year, I try to round up all my beauty faves and choose the one that stood or has helped me most. For 2012, I couldn't just narrow it down to one so I am featuring several instead! This is part one of a two-part series :)

If you recall, I broke out heavily at the start of 2012. It was probably from products that I tested, the shift from work-at-home to a regular day job, stress, exposure to the elements (I commute) plus other factors. Anyway, I've been doing at home remedies and used OTC products to no avail. I felt like I needed to go to a professional to clear up up my skin. A lot of bloggers have been raving about the Flawless Nano Peel so one fine day after work, I trooped to Flawless in Trinoma and had myself scheduled for a facial.

I didn't know what to expect, this would be my first facial outside of my Dermatologist of 10+ years. I was excited and scared at the same time. Mhel was assigned to be my facialist and one thing that I liked about her was her bubbly personality and how meticulous she was with extracting pimples and comedones. She also wasn't pushy and totally understood that I was only there for the peel and nothing else -- don't you hate it when people sell stuff to you while you're helplessly lying down?

After my first Nano Peel session, I told myself I would only have it done every 2 months, but I ended up having it done every 3 weeks instead. I winced, it was expensive at Php 2000/session but I really liked how I dozed off during steaming (so relaxing) and how my pimples lessened dramatically.

From the photo above, you can see that there are crystal particles on my face. It's these crushed crystals that slough off dead skin cells and reveal softer and smoother skin after several sessions. I've been told that it also lessens oiliness in the long run, too.

Several treatments after, a few bloggers friends mentioned that my skin looks better and the texture is smoother. Yes, my pimples were gone but my freshly healed spots were still there. Fast forward 8 months, my skin is loads better, pores are smaller and my pimple spots have lightened. I have become such a convert that I ended up purchasing the 5+5 Nano Peel Promo last December. It was totally worth it for me, and now I only go to Flawless for my facials.

This photo was taken last week at Ma Maison and I am showing my Unicef baller. I used my iPod Touch 5, no filter was used.

Being a staunch user of VMV's Armada, I was more than ecstatic to try out their new reformulated Skin Savvy. This product has been around for years but I never got around to getting one because their shades were too dark. Good thing VMV decided to release lighter shades and I am conveniently a W1 (Warm 1). In my previous post I mentioned that the N1 (Neutral 1) matches my skin perfectly, but I discovered that it is a tad too pinkish. The W1 has yellow undertones and looks more natural on me.

Anyway, I have yet to post an in-depth review but this is my favorite sunscreen-slash-foundation and I've been solely using this since August. The VMV Skin Savvy effectively protects skin with its SPF 60 and its medium coverage hides blemishes and other skin discolorations. I call it my "tinted Armada" and I already stocked up on 4 purse-sized pump bottles for travel.

It may not work for others as it has a bit of a drag when applied, and it is rather dry and not moisturizing at all but for me it works rather well.

I've hit pan on my Majolica Majorca Pore Cover, that's why I asked my Kris Kringle Mommy to buy me a refill! Hitting pan is a milestone as there are literally thousands of products in the market today, and yet I decide to stick with just one -- that means it works so well and complements my skin care needs and skin tone perfectly.

The Majolica Majorca Pore Cover, for lack of a better word, is an awesome translucent powder. The ultra fine powder set my Skin Savvy 60, gives me an airbrushed finish and brightens my overall complexion. No breakouts either, plus it's very affordable at Php 595/compact. It's the only powder I use on my face now :)